Uri firing: Killing of youth inexcusable, says Omar

January 03, 2012 20:01 IST

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday hit out at the Central Industrial Security Force over the killing of a youth during firing on protesters, calling it a "murder" and alleged that the "excessive" force used was "unwarranted and inexcusable".

As the incident during protests against power shortage outside NHPC-run Uri Power Project at Boniyar on Monday sparked an outrage, the CM flew in from the winter capital Jammu and met the family members of Altaf Ahmad at Barnait village in Uri tehsil, 90 km from Srinagar.

He told the family his government will spare no effort in ensuring exemplary punishment to the CISF personnel responsible for the killing. Five CISF personnel were arrested hours after the incident. He said the CISF action cannot be seen as done in self defence going by the location of injuries on the body of Ahmad and the number of rounds fired.

"The way Altaf was killed is really sad. This is not less than a murder," he said, adding, "the circumstances of his death are tragic, shocking and inexcusable." He made these remarks after meeting the victim's family.

Abdullah alleged there was "excessive" use of force by CISF men which was "unwarranted and inexcusable." "The government will spare no effort in handing over severe punishment to the culprits. Justice will be done," he added.

This was his first visit to family of a victim of firing by security forces since taking over as chief minister in 2009. "Even if we have to move any court or take course to any law to punish the personnel behind the killing of Altaf Ahmad, we would do so positively," he asserted. He said no one was sure whether the youth was even part of the protests.

CISF Chief N R Das also visited the firing spot and said his force will conduct a parallel internal inquiry into the incident. He promised that the guilty will be punished.

Das said initial reports suggested that his men were "outnumbered" at the protest site.